WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Thursday warned jurors at Sen. Ted Stevens’ corruption trial to be courteous and respectful of one another after the panel’s leader described “violent outbursts” that threatened to derail final deliberations. Another juror left town to tend to a sick relative.

Before quitting for the day, 11 members of the 12-person jury asked U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to immediately dismiss a female juror, describing her as rude, disrespectful and unreasonable.

“She has had violent outbursts with other jurors, and that’s not helping anyone,” said Sullivan, reading the note publicly to Stevens, his lawyers and Justice Department prosecutors.

Sullivan, who rejected suggestions to question the jury foreman and the juror, instead brought the panel of eight women and four men back into the courtroom for a “pep talk.”

“You should encourage civility and mutual respect among yourselves,” Sullivan told jurors, with some nodding and others smiling before heading back to continue deliberations.

After the jury left, Sullivan pronounced his solution a temporary success.

“It’s significant that no one appeared to be agitated,” said the judge.

Sullivan then convened a rare evening hearing to try to keep the trial on track. He gave attorneys for both sides until this morning to offer suggestions on how to continue if the court cannot accommodate a missing juror. One juror told officials she was rushing to catch a plane to take care of a serious illness in her family.

Sullivan ordered an alternate juror to be ready to join deliberations today if the issue cannot be resolved. That would send the deliberations back to the beginning, just as jurors were entering their third day of discussions. The judge also could order 11 jurors to continue deliberating or delay the case until Monday.

The jury ended its second day of deliberations without reaching a verdict. Jurors sent the judge a final evening note saying they had “exhausted” themselves and would continue deliberations today.

Stevens, R-Alaska, is charged with lying for years on Senate financial disclosure documents to conceal $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from a friend, millionaire oil contractor Bill Allen.

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